Game adaptations have always had a bad reputation. For a long time, these films were so horrendously bad that a lot of fans feared a good adaptation was impossible. However, the age of darkness for game adaptations was brought to an end in 2017 with Netflix’s Castlevania, a somewhat faithful yet extremely entertaining adaptation that had both old fans and newcomers alike impressed with how seamlessly the story of the game translated. More recently, we got Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness from Netflix. Although imperfect, it was another piece of evidence that games had a place in the motion picture industry. Now, Netflix has returned with another major attempt at game adaptation, and it just might be their best yet. Arcane adapts the lore and backstories of characters from the League of Legends in a beautiful blend of 2D and 3D animation, containing some of the best character writing, voice acting, storytelling, action, and music of not just the niche genre of game adaptations, but of all recent animated works and TV as a whole.
The game League of Legends was created by Riot Games and is part of a game category known as a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, where the player chooses a champion—a hero from the world of League—and, with a team of four other players controlling their own champions, takes on another team of five players in an attempt to destroy the opponent’s base before they can destroy yours. Winning requires strategy, skill, game knowledge, patience, and quick reflexes. League has been considered one of the most popular online games of all time since its launch in 2009 for many reasons, but one of the most important is probably the champions that the players control. Each of League’s champions has a backstory: friends, enemies, and a place in the larger world of League. Outside of the matches that the players witness, the champions live on the continent of Runeterra, home to many different nations. One of these nations, Demacia, is a militarized kingdom that preaches ideals of honor in battle and justice for the weak. However, they fear magic and are explicitly prejudiced against magic users. Although they have reigned as a superpower in the world of Runeterra for decades, after the death of King Jarvan III, some suspect their control over the surrounding territory may be weakening. This is just one of the varied and interesting parts of the world. Riot Games has released hundreds of pages of lore expanding on the world and characters, but until recently that was all it was. With the release of Arcane, however, this is no longer the case.
Arcane tells both an extremely personal story of characters and their relationships, as well as a large-scale political drama with hundreds of lives at stake. The story takes place in Piltover, the great city of progress and invention, as well as the slums under it. The wide cast of characters makes each of the intersecting storylines equally compelling. The basic premise is that new research suggests that magic potential, previously thought to be genetic, could be manufactured artificially. The implications for being able to use artificial magic are too alluring to pass up for some people, and a war for control over the technology ensues. The heart of the story lies with Jinx and Vi, orphaned sisters who lived through the previous war between Piltover and the slums. The two rely upon each other until a tragic event permanently damages their relationship, placing them on opposite sides of the conflict. The other characters are just as intriguing, including new characters original to the show.
Arcane is at its best during sudden and extreme bursts of emotion and impressively animated action sequences. Certain scenes are emotionally powerful, with Episode 3 being the standout in this regard. Arcane is split into three acts consisting of three episodes each. Every trio of episodes has a full arc, each with a climax and resolution, but together they are more than the sum of their parts: they form a truly epic tale. Those who have played the game, such as myself, and are already attached to these characters may enjoy small character interactions and easter eggs a bit more than new viewers, but the show’s story arc works on its own as a first introduction to these characters. I have talked to several people completely new to the franchise who are ecstatic to learn more about the League universe after being introduced to the Netflix series. The urge of the show’s creators to completely overwhelm the viewer by trying to cram in as much fan-service from every possible corner of League’s lore was likely low-hanging fruit, but Arcane smartly keeps the tone focused while hinting at the larger world.
With a second season already confirmed, a lot of potential remains for future stories. At times you may even forget that Arcane is based on a decade-old game given how novel the story remains throughout its runtime. All of this raises the question, should the idea of a game adaptation still be taboo? Netflix is on a streak of successfully adapting games to legitimate TV, and with more adaptations on the horizon, such as HBO’s The Last of Us, it’s possible these adaptations could become the new normal, like how comic book characters took over the box office through the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Regardless of what the future holds, however, Arcane is undeniably a wild success in its bid to expose a new audience to these characters and stories, and we look forward to what Netflix has in store next for game and TV fans alike. Give Arcane a watch and let your friends know what you think on your BingeRoom page!
